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Chesterfield County names John Murray school superintendent

Chairperson Heffron makes their way past the seal of the School Board
Shaban Athuman
/
VPM News
Dot Heffron, of the Clover Hill District, leaves the room after a Chesterfield County School Board work session on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Murray had been serving as interim superintendent since September.

The Chesterfield County School Board has chosen John Murray as its next superintendent, it announced Thursday afternoon. He has been serving as interim superintendent since September.

“He understands rapid growth and the challenges it brings and he understands academic progress,” said Vice Chair Lisa Hudgins, the board’s Midlothian District representative, after the board voted unanimously to hire Murray permanently.

John Murray was named superintendent of Chesterfield County's school division Thursday. In this headshot, he's wearing a gray plaid suit and tie.
Courtesy
/
Chesterfield County Public Schools
John Murray was named Chesterfield County's new school superintendent Thursday.

“I am confident that we will thrive and I look forward to what we will accomplish,” he told the board.

Murray, who has held several roles in Chesterfield schools, takes the position at a turbulent time for Central Virginia’s largest school district.

Parents have repeatedly voiced concerns over school safety, after a stabbing and a shooting threat forced Chesterfield schools to go into lockdown or close in recent months.

The district also adopted new policies on transgender students during a contentious seven-hour meeting in December. The new policies follow guidelines published by the Virginia Department of Education and supported by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“We are confident that his strategic approach and compassion for helping all students thrive will guide our schools into the future,” said Clover Hill District representative Dot Heffron, the previous board chair.

Murray — then deputy superintendent — took over the top role on an interim basis at the beginning of the 2024–25 school year, replacing Mervin Daugherty, who retired in August after six years leading the school division.

“I send my own kids to school in the Chesterfield County school system,” he told reporters after the meeting. “I think I’m most compelled to leave the school system in better shape than how I found it.”

Billy Shields is the Chesterfield County reporter for VPM News.